This present invention is directed to a jumper for small children, more particularly to a stationary jumper for small toddlers or babies. Most particularly, the present invention is directed to a seat suspended by elastomeric materials on a cantilevered frame so that a child in the seat is able to bounce and exercise.
There are a wide variety of apparatus available today in which children may be placed for exercise. Similarly, there are a wide variety of devices available today in which children may be placed for entertainment. Some of these devices are expandable to several positions so that the distance to the ground from the seat may be controlled for different sized children. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,242 to Gerken et al. Some devices also have a resiliently supported child seat positioned above the ground. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,582 to Moss. Moreover, child exerciser/rockers are available. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,246 to Meeker et al.
Despite the number of efforts to meet the needs of caregivers for exercise and entertainment of young ones, there remains a need for a jumper that has a support frame which remains substantially still on a floor surface, that is adjustable to one of several expanded positions, and that has an easy access seat portion suspended within the support frame.
According to the present invention a stationary baby jumper apparatus is provided. The jumper apparatus includes a support frame having a U-shaped base leg with upstanding ends, a cantilevered seat-support leg mounted upon the upstanding ends of the U-shaped base leg, and a chair seat suspended from the seat-support leg. In addition, connectors are provided which are positioned in spaced-apart relation to one another about the cantilevered seat-support leg. The chair seat is suspended from the seat-support leg vertically above the base leg by shock cords that extend between the chair seat and the connectors. Each shock cord includes opposite ends and an extensible center portion extending between the opposite ends. One end of each cord is coupled to one connector and the opposite end of each cord is coupled to the frame of the chair seat.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the connectors include a circular sleeve portion and an opposite gripping portion. The seat-support leg extends through the sleeve portion of each connector to securely fastened them onto the support frame. Moreover, the first end of the shock cord extends through the gripping portion and forms a bulb within the connector to prevent sliding movement of the cord out from the gripping portion. Further, the second end of the shock cord extends into the chair seat and forms a second bulb therein to prevent sliding movement of the cord from the seat.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the seat frame is formed so that the height of the chair may be raised or lowered to accommodate different sizes of children. Preferably, the seat-support leg is mounted within the upstanding ends of the base leg and a spring-loaded adjustment mechanism is positioned within the seat-support leg so that it may be raised or lowered with respect to the base leg. The adjustment mechanism includes a U-shaped spring having a locking tab extending outwardly from one end of the spring. The seat-support leg, which houses the spring, includes a hole through which the locking tab extends. In addition, the upstanding ends of the base leg include at least two holes therein which are aligned with the locking tab. Therefore, to adjust the positioning of the seat-support leg, the caregiver must simply push the locking tab into the hole and slide the seat-support leg toward a desirable pre-determined position. Once the locking tab reaches the pre-determined position, it automatically springs back through the hole with which it is aligned to secure the seat-support leg in its new locked position.
From a manufacture's perspective, a stationary baby jumper in accordance with the present invention is preferable over traditional jumpers because the jumper's shape allows for fast and inexpensive tooling. The use of extensible shock cords also eliminates the need to improve the general appearance of exposed springs by expensive plating and finishes. Moreover, it is easy to paint the support frame to any desirable color.
A user of a stationary baby jumper in accordance with the present invention will also find that a jumper in accordance with the present invention is preferable over traditional jumpers. The support frame remains in a stationary position on the floor making it easier to use than traditional jumpers. Furthermore, the chair seat of the baby jumper is readily accessible to the caregiver because it is suspended within a cantilevered seat-support leg.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.